Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched 6 scoreless innings with 7 strikeouts to help the Dodgers clinch the National League West title, earning praise from Shohei Ohtani as the team's true ace.

The Los Angeles Dodgers shut out the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-0 today (26th), securing their fourth consecutive National League West championship. Starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivered a stellar performance with 6 scoreless innings and 7 strikeouts, not only recording his 12th win of the season but also reaching the milestone of 200 strikeouts in a single season, becoming the seventh Japanese pitcher in history to achieve this. After the game, senior teammate Shohei Ohtani highly praised him as the "true ace of the team."

Yamamoto started 30 games this season, pitching a total of 173.2 innings with a record of 12 wins and 8 losses, an ERA of 2.49, and 201 strikeouts. He was the only Dodger to remain consistently in the starting rotation throughout the season. After the game, he admitted that staying healthy was his greatest comfort and that he has learned to tailor his strategy according to hitters’ characteristics. He expressed satisfaction with his performance in this championship-clinching game.

Shohei Ohtani also showed great power in this game, hitting his 54th home run of the season, while the entire lineup erupted offensively. The bullpen contributed 3 scoreless innings, laying a solid foundation for the team's victory. After the game, Ohtani praised Yamamoto: "Yamamoto has been consistently reliable all season and is truly our ace. Delivering such a performance in the clinching game is hugely meaningful for the team and a big boost for our playoff preparation. He really had an outstanding season."

At the subsequent championship champagne celebration, Ohtani and Yamamoto sprayed champagne on each other, sharing the joy of victory. Yamamoto emphasized that this success was the result of the entire team's effort and firmly stated, "From now on, we will fight with all our strength and keep moving forward together."